Three different out-of-autoclave manufacturing processes of CF/poly-ether-ether-ketone thermoplastic composites were characterized, including innovative laser-assisted automated fibre placement with in situ consolidation. Characterization techniques included differential scanning calorimetry, ultrasonic non-destructive testing and matrix digestion, in addition to 3D X-ray microcomputed tomography to investigate the void distribution, size and shape. The results revealed that in situ consolidation process can lead to the accumulation of large voids between the upper layers. Interlaminar shear, in-plane shear, tensile and flexure testing were used for mechanical evaluation. A reduction in the mechanical properties was observed for in situ consolidation laminates when compared to the other out-of-autoclave methods. The drop in mechanical properties of in situ consolidation laminates was mainly attributed to the differences found in void distribution and size. Optimization of processing parameters along with higher quality prepreg raw material could be of assistance for the improvement of mechanical properties of in situ consolidation structures.
RosselliFSantareMHGüçeriSI.Effects of processing on laser assisted thermoplastic tape consolidation. Compos Part A Appl Sci Manuf1997;
28: 1023–1033.
2.
FunckRNeitzelM.Improved thermoplastic tape winding using laser or direct-flame heating. Compos Manuf1995;
6: 189–192.
3.
PistorCMYardimciMAGüçeriSI.On-line consolidation of thermoplastic composites using laser scanning. Compos Part A Appl Sci Manuf1999;
30: 1149–1157.
4.
PistorCMGüçeriSI.Crystallization of on-line thermoplastic composites. J Compos Mater1998;
33: 306–324.
5.
Stokes-GriffinCMCompstonP.Optical characterisation and modelling for oblique near-infrared laser heating of carbon fibre reinforced thermoplastic composites. Opt Lasers Eng2015;
72: 1–11.
6.
Stokes-GriffinCMCompstonP.The effect of processing temperature and placement rate on the short beam strength of carbon fibre–PEEK manufactured using a laser tape placement process. Compos Part A Appl Sci Manuf2015;
78: 274–283.
7.
GrouveWJBWarnetLLRietmanB, et al.
Optimization of the tape placement process parameters for carbon–PPS composites. Compos Part A Appl Sci Manuf2013;
50: 44–53.
8.
ComerAJRayDObandeWO, et al.
Mechanical characterisation of carbon fibre–PEEK manufactured by laser-assisted automated-tape-placement and autoclave. Compos Part A Appl Sci Manuf2015;
69: 10–20.
9.
Rodriguez-LenceFMartinMIHorcajoKF. In-situ consolidation of integrated thermoplastic fuselage panels: the future in structural commercial aerocomposites. In: ECCM18 – 18th European conference on composite materials, Athens, Greece, 2018.
10.
MartínMIRodríguez-LenceFGüemesA, et al.
On the determination of thermal degradation effects and detection techniques for thermoplastic composites obtained by automatic lamination. Compos Part A Appl Sci Manuf2018;
111: 23–32.
11.
HoangMDSimpsonJFHoaSV. Mechanical properties of thermoplastic composites made by automated fiber placement. In: ICCM20, Copenhagen, 2015.
12.
Van HoaSDuc HoangMSimpsonJ.Manufacturing procedure to make flat thermoplastic composite laminates by automated fibre placement and their mechanical properties. J Thermoplast Compos Mater2017;
30: 1693–1712.
13.
Rodriguez-LenceFLorenzoEZuazoM, et al. Activities on in-situ consolidation by automated placement technologies. In: Proceedings of 16th the European conferences on composites materials (ECCM16), Seville, Spain, 2014.
14.
Amir KhanMMitschangPSchledjewskiR.Tracing the void content development and identification of its effecting parameters during in situ consolidation of thermoplastic tape material.Poly Polym Compos2010;
18(1): 1–15.
15.
ChuQLiYXiaoJ, et al.
Processing and characterization of the thermoplastic composites manufactured by ultrasonic vibration–assisted automated fiber placement. J Thermoplast Compos Mater2018;
31: 339–358.
16.
FrancescoMDGiddingsPFScottM, et al. Influence of laser power density on the meso-structure of thermoplastic composite preforms manufactured by automated fibre placement. In: SAMPE 2016, Long Beach, CA, 23–26 May 2016.
17.
Saenz-CastilloDMartínMICalvoS, et al.
Effect of processing parameters and void content on mechanical properties and NDI of thermoplastic composites. Compos Part A Appl Sci Manuf2019;
121: 308–320.
18.
SchledjewskiR.Thermoplastic tape placement process – in situ consolidation is reachable. Plastics Rubber Compos2009;
38(9–10): 379–386.
19.
SchledjewskiR.Thermoplastic tape placement – challenging the autoclave process. VDI Ber245–251.
20.
Stokes-GriffinCMKollmannsbergerAEhardS, et al.
Manufacture of steel–CF/PA6 hybrids in a laser tape placement process: effect of first-ply placement rate on thermal history and lap shear strength. Compos Part A Appl Sci Manuf2018;
111: 42–53.
21.
KhanMAMitschangPSchledjewskiR.Parametric study on processing parameters and resulting part quality through thermoplastic tape placement process. J Compos Mater2013;
47: 485–499.
22.
ZhangDHeiderDAdvaniSG, et al. Out of autoclave consolidation of voids in continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites. In: SAMPE, Long Beach, CA, 2013.
23.
BironM.Thermoplastics and thermoplastic composites. 2nd ed.
New York:
William Andrew, 2012, pp. 1–1044.
VaidyaUKChawlaKK.Processing of fibre reinforced thermoplastic composites. Int Mater Rev2008;
53: 185–218.
26.
ValverdeMAKupferRKawashitaLF, et al. Effect of processing parameters on quality and strength in thermoplastic composite injection overmoulded components. In: ECCM18 – 18th European conference on composite materials, Athens, Greece, 2018, p. 8.
27.
CostaAPda BotelhoECCostaML, et al.
A review of welding technologies for thermoplastic composites in aerospace applications. J Aerosp Technol Manag2012;
4: 255–266.
28.
TierneyJGillespieJW.Modeling of heat transfer and void dynamics for the thermoplastic composite tow-placement process. J Compos Mater2003;
37: 1745–1768.
29.
OromiehieE.In-situ process monitoring in automated fibre placement-based manufacturing of advanced composites.
Sydney, Australia:
UNSW (University of New South Wales), 2017.
30.
KhanMAMitschangPSchledjewskiR.Identification of some optimal parameters to achieve higher laminate quality through tape placement process. Adv Polym Technol2010;
29: 98–111.
31.
GaoS-LKimJ-K.Cooling rate influences in carbon fibre/PEEK composites. Part 1. Crystallinity and interface adhesion. Compos Part A Appl Sci Manuf2000;
31: 517–530.
32.
SchledjewskiRMiarisA. Thermoplastic tape placement by means of diode laser heating. In: International SAMPE symposium and exhibition (proceedings), Baltimore, MD, USA, 2009.
33.
GruberMBLockwoodIZDolanTL, et al. Thermoplastic in-situ placement requires better impregnated tapes and tows. In: Proceedings of the 2012 SAMPE conference and exhibition, Baltimore, MD, 2012.
34.
LamontiaMAGruberMBSystemsA, et al. Remaining developments required for commercializing in situ thermoplastic ATP. In: SAMPE, Baltimore, MD, USA, 2007, p. 15.
35.
HassanMHOthmanARKamaruddinS.Void content determination of fiber reinforced polymers by acid digestion method. Adv Mater Res2013;
795: 64–68.
36.
DeanSMcDonoughWDunkersJ, et al.
A test method to determine the fiber and void contents of carbon/glass hybrid composites. J ASTM Int2004;
1: 12076
37.
LittleJEYuanXJonesMI.Characterisation of voids in fibre reinforced composite materials. NDT E Int2012;
46: 122–127.
38.
HernándezSSketFGonzálezC, et al.
Optimization of curing cycle in carbon fiber-reinforced laminates: void distribution and mechanical properties. Compos Sci Technol2013;
85: 73–82.
39.
TretiakISmithRA.A parametric study of segmentation thresholds for X-ray CT porosity characterisation in composite materials. Compos Part A Appl Sci Manuf2019;
123: 10–24.
40.
RameshABattleyMAllenT, et al. Characterising voids and wrinkles in curved carbon fibre reinforced polymer parts using µ-CT and optical microscopy. In: 18th European conferences of composite materials, ECCM18, Athens, Greece, 2018.
Cytec. Technical data sheet. APC-2-PEEK thermoplastic polymer.
43.
Solvay Group. Technical data sheet. APC-2 PEEK thermoplastic polymer prepreg.
44.
MartínMI.Modelización del proceso de laminación automática y consolidación in-situ con materiales compuestos termoplásticos APC2/AS4. Thesis Manuscript, ETSIAE, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 2019.
45.
ISO 11357-3:2018(E). Plastics – differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), part 3: determination of temperature and enthalpy of melting and crystallization.
46.
BlundellDJ.On the interpretation of multiple melting peaks in poly(ether ether ketone). Polymer1987;
28: 2248–2251.
47.
SchindelinJRuedenCTHinerMC, et al.
The ImageJ ecosystem: an open platform for biomedical image analysis. Mol Reprod Dev2015;
82: 518–529.
48.
BirtEASmithRA.A review of NDE methods for porosity measurement in fibre-reinforced polymer composites. Insight2004;
46: 681–686.
49.
GhiorseSR.Effect of void content on the mechanical properties of carbon epoxy laminates. SAMPE Q1993;
24: 54–59.
50.
LandroLDMontaltoABettiniP, et al.
Detection of voids in carbon/epoxy laminates and their influence on mechanical properties. Polym Compos2017;
25: 10.
51.
LiuLZhangB-MWangD-F, et al.
Effects of cure cycles on void content and mechanical properties of composite laminates. Compos Struct2006;
73: 303–309.
52.
SloanJ. OOA: thermoplastic alternative targets performance spec. CompositesWorld, 18 February 2016.
53.
DavisTHealyDBubeckA, et al.
Stress concentrations around voids in three dimensions: the roots of failure. J Struct Geol2017;
102: 193–207.
54.
LamontiaMAGruberMBDriveS, et al. In situ thermoplastic ATP needs flat tapes and tows with few voids. In: SEICO 09 – Paris, France, 2009.
55.
WisnomMRReynoldsTGwilliamN.Reduction in interlaminar shear strength by discrete and distributed voids. Compos Sci Technol1996;
56: 93–101.
56.
FujiharaKHuangZ-MRamakrishnaS, et al.
Influence of processing conditions on bending property of continuous carbon fiber reinforced PEEK composites. Compos Sci Technol2004;
64: 2525–2534.
57.
Rodríguez-LenceFZuazoMCalvoS. In-situ consolidation of PEEK composites by automated placement technologies. In: 20th international conference on composite materials, Copenhagen, 2015, p. 9.
